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Toyota GR Yaris: The Most Powerful Hatchback From Toyota

Published

6 years ago

January 13, 2020

The reign of the hot hatches is returning to the mainstream and Toyota wants to tap in that segment. Introducing the most powerful variant of the Toyota Yaris called the GR (Gazoo Racing). The new Toyota GR Yaris is what folks want in a pocket rocket, lots of power and a manual gear. The Yaris GR joins the Supra as the second model to feature in Toyota’s new performance lineup.

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Looks

The looks of the Toyota GR Yaris screams performance. From the front to rear-end, you can see that Toyota has really been busy brewing this piece of machine. The hatch takes advantage of Toyota’s World Rally Championship (WRC) expertise and comes in a three-door form. It makes use of carbon fibre polymer and aluminium to keep the weight low. There’s a newly developed double-wishbone rear suspension, a MacPherson strut front suspension, and a wider rear track compared to the regular Yaris. The roofline has been lowered by 91 mm (3.6 inches) to obtain a coupe-like silhouette, and there are frameless doors along with 18-inch alloys serving as telltale signs this isn’t an ordinary Yaris.

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Interior Layout

The interior layout of the Toyota GR Yaris is still the same from the regular Yaris. The infotainment system sits on top of the dash like most new Toyota vehicles. The interior is wrapped in custom GR trims on the steering and the seats. Switching on the ignition, you will be greeted by the GR logo to further distinguish the GR version from the standard model. Aside from that, every other feature from the interior is the same and very recognizable.

Engine and Transmission

The Toyota GR Yaris is powered by a 1.6 litre turbocharged 3 cylinder engine that will produce a maximum of 257bhp and 265lb ft. The engine is all-new and purpose-built for the Yaris GR and it is mated with a 6-speed manual transmission. Another sweet spot is that the Yaris GR comes in standard All-Wheel-Drive. Drivers will get to play with a 4WD dial switch allowing them to pick between Normal, Sport, and Track modes. In Normal, front and rear torque distribution is split 60:40, while in Sport it changes to 30:70. Head to the circuit and turn on Track mode and torque will be split evenly between the two axles. It’s worth mentioning these represent the default settings as the 4WD system is automatically adjustable and can send the full torque to the front or rear wheels depending on the road conditions and the driver’s inputs.

The Toyota GR Yaris is the most powerful 3 cylinder hatchback there is at the moment and it’s a development that Toyota wants to explore the performance series. Who knows maybe we may see GR versions of the Corolla or Camry in the near future.